Tickle your Tastebuds on Performance Management
Here at The Change Directors HQ we love watching TV Cookery Shows and we have become more than fascinated by the term – “deconstructing dishes”.
It’s apparently a take on a saying coined by the French Philosopher, Jaques Derrida, and means taking food apart that are normally combined together in a dish and then plating them together in a different way.
We have been applying the concept to Hot HR subjects and produced some appetising results. This month our article features Performance Management (PM). The clear responsibility of the business people at the Top Table.
A Taste of Performance Management
Performance Management gained fame in the 1980’s on the back of total quality management. Nearly 20 years ago in 1998, Armstrong and Baron, said that PM “is both a strategic and an integrated approach to delivering successful results in organisations by improving the performance and capabilities of teams and individuals” But, for the last 20 years it’s got bad press.
Why? A manager’s desire to be liked outweighs the managers need to be honest. Always has. Always will and as a result scores are often similar across the team. Also most PM systems still have an annual cycle – and therein lies the latest issue. Annual this that and the other no longer works in a digital age. Its gotta be instant!
So, with the executive team in the hot seat. The one right next to the oven, lets deconstruct.
Deconstruct the Annual Appraisal
Actually No. Bin it. It’s damaging and expensive to run.
Use a new recipe………
- Measure the performance of the business and it’s results, then
- Measure how individuals and groups add value to the performance of the business, then
- Discuss with each individual how they can improve their own performance and therefore the performance of the business
Simple recipe.
Here are a few extra ingredients that can make a difference:
- People commit more readily to achieving the vision if there is a link to reward and they know that the reward will be fairly applied.
- Implement smart working initiatives that improve workers engagement and performance.
- Do you trust your workers? Trust is the binding agent for engagement and productivity.
- Allow for the entrepreneurial spirit and support those employees who are risk takers because they may get you to the results you need much quicker than the cautious. Peter Drucker said “People who don’t take risks normally make about 2 big mistakes a year. People who do take risks generally make about 2 big mistakes a year.”
- Finally, FUN is a good way to change people’s behaviour, engagement and performance.
So, if you sit at the Top Table and you are not sure whether your Performance Management System is fit for purpose do something about it! It’s your responsibility.
Ruth Gawthorpe is the owner of The Change Directors: an HR & Business expert with a specialist focus on powering productivity and results through people.
If this article has tickled your taste buds then you can call Ruth on 07976509551 or email her at rg@thechangedirectors.co.uk for a confidential discussion.
